Reumerman ctal



April 1951 r. REUMERMAN ETA!- 2,930,801

TRANSLATION 0F SYMBOLS INTO ELECTRIC SIGNALS Filed Feb. 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 18, 1961 T. REUMERMAN ETAL 2,930,801

TRANSLATiON OF SYMBOLS INTO ELECTRIC SIGNALS Filed Feb. 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 annzm GGHEID [DEIDRE FIG.3

FIG .4

United States Theodorus Reumerman, 12 Zandvoortselaan, Zandvoort, and Willem Hendrik Theodorus Helmig, 9 Van Slingelandtlaan, Leiden, Netherlands 7 Filed Feb. 5, 1957, Ser. No. 638,344

priority, application GreatBritain Feb. 6, 1956 '14 Claims, Cl. 259-105 I Thejinvention relates to the translation into. electric signals of symbols appearing on the movable symbol fields of an indicating mechanism,';such as a counter of the kind used in adding, calculating and accounting machines, or of the kind used in electricity meters, subscribers .metersin telephone exchanges, and the like.

Symbol groups appearing on indicating'mechanisms are usually interpreted by visual reading. Where subsequent processing of the readings by means of electric machines is required, the readings must be translatedinto electric signals. This may be done either directlyyby operating an entering device, such as a keyboard, or indirectly, by operating a recording device which prepares a machine controlling record, such as a magnetic tape ,or a punched card. In the latter case, the electric signals are generated when the record is sensed by thema- Errors in the reading of the symbol groups, or'in the operation of the entering or recording device, lead to inaccurate results. Such errors may be avoided ,by eliminating the human element in the above-described processes For this purpose, the symbols must be represented in-a form which is readily translatable into electric sig-, I

nals.

his the object of the present invention to provide improved means for this kind of symbol representation and for the translation'of the represented symbols into electric symbols. j

According to the invention, at least part of the movable symbolnfields ofanindicating mechanism are each ,provided'witha spot, or with a plurality of spots of a radio active material, in such manner that the location Paitented Apr. 18, 1 9 61 by the radiation of theradio-active spots. This may be a gas occluded in an air-tight envelope, such as a tube of the Geiger-Muller. type, or it'may be the air in the vicinity of the symbol field. When the radiation of one of the radio-active spots is intercepted by the scanning device, an electric current will flow between electrodes arranged in theT'gas and carrying a suitable voltage, and this currentmaylbe amplified and used for controlling a machine or arecording device.' 'Where a tube of the Geiger-Muller 'type is used, the current will consist of a plurality of impulses each corresponding with one of the radiation quanta, and these impulses may be integrated bysuitable integrating means in order to obtain the desired code impulse. A screen impermeable to the radiation of the radio-active spots and provided with a suitable intercepting aperture, for instance with an elongated slit, may be provided between the symbol fields and the electrodes, so that the ionisation of the gas between the electrodes may'only be caused by the radiation of a spot arranged immediately opposite the aperture. 7 By continuously moving the electrodes and the screen past the various symbol fields, the scanning device will successively respond to thespots on the symbol fields, so as to produce an impulse series corresponding with the numerical values of the symbols displayed on the symbol fields.

It is not always necessary to provide radio-active spots on all the symbol fields of an indicating mechanism. For instance, in some kinds of electricity meters, the counter displays in addition to the 'digits representing the units, tens, hundreds, etc. of the consumed amount, a digit representing tenths of a kwh. which is not used in the calculation of the' amount to be paid. In this case, the spots may be left out on the wheel displaying the tenths of a kwh. In general, the spots are provided on all symbol fields; that are significant from the point of view ofprocessin'gu f V Any suitable code may be used for the representation of the sy'r'nb'ols by means of the radioactive spots. Some examples area binary code, a biquinary code, the international five'elemjent code, and the self-correcting seven element code.

The spots-representing the codejelements may be preof the spot, or the pattern of the plurality of spots corresponds according to a predetermined code with a numerical value identifying the symbol. s

- Suitable materials for the spots are radio-active isotopeswith a sufficiently long half-life period, for instance strontium-or thallium isotopes. The spots may be ary rangedeither on the part of the symbol fields that is taken up for the visual representation of the symbol, or on a separate part of the symbol fields. The spots may have anydesired shape; for instance, circular spots may beused, or elongated spots in the form of parallel straight lines. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the spots are arranged ,in depressions 'of the surface of the symbol fields, so that a directional radiation is obtained. f When a symbol-group appearing on said indicating mechanism is-scanned by an electric scanning device responsive' to theradia'tion of theradio-active spots, the output current of this device will comprise a series of impulses corresponding with the numerical values of the symbols according to said code. These impulses may be filtered outandt used for controlling an electric machine for processing the symbol group, or a recording device for preparing a machine controlling record, such as .a m sn ti f a a ;In asuitable'embodiment of the invention, the scanning device is responsive to the ionisation of a gas caused the exact location of the code elementspots. For instance, the code elementspots may be preceded by a starting spot determining the exact location of the first code element spot. Y i i I .The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a symbol field provided with radioactive spots, and Fig. 2 schematically represents a scanning device. Fig. 3 illustrates the use of the scanning'device as shown in Fig. 2 for reading'a set of conversationmeters I in a telephone exchange.

Fig. 4 shows the circuit diagram of the device shown in Fig. 2. v

The symbol field represented in Fig. 1 constitutes a part of the surface of a counter wheel, and, comprises a visual representation 1 of the digit 7. Slots or incisions 2, 3, 4 and5 are provided in the surface of the symbol field, and each of these incisions is filled up with a radioactive material, so that four rectilinear elongated radioactive spots are obtained. The lateral radiation of the radio-active material is absorbed by the material'of the counter wheel, so that a directional elfcct is obtained by the use of the incisions. ,The spot in incision 2 is a start ing spot serving-1o determine the exact location of the first code spot; The spots in incisions 3, 4 and 5 are the code; spots, and represent the numerical value 7- accordingto theusual binary code. a

.In Fig. 2 a plurality of counter wheels are-indicated at 6. A scanning carriage 7 may be moved past the wheels 6 in the direction indicated by the arrow 8. For

this purpose, suitable .guiding means are provi'ded 'in front-of the counter. J

A screen 14, placed behind the front -wall 9 of the scanning carriage, is made of a material whichis irnpermeable to the radiation of the radio-activerspotsiand plified by an amplifier 11, integratedbyanintegratingnetwork 12, and supplied to atape recorder 13,in which the numerical values of thesymbolsvappearing on the counter wheels 6 are recorded accordingito the binary code.

Fig. 3 illustrates the use of the scanning device shown in Fig. 2 for reading a-set of conversation'metersin'a telephone exchange. The meters 17, each' individual to one of the subscribers, are arranged in'horizontalrows in the usual manner. Although only four meters in each row have been shown for purposes'of illustratiomit will be understood that the number of meters may be larger in actual practice.

The digit fields on the wheels of the meters areprovided with radio-activespots in the manner shown in Fig. 1. I

A bridge 18 is placed before the meters and is supported by columns 19 and 20. As schematically indicated at 21, this bridge may be adjusted to various'levels, so that it may cooperate with any desired row ofmeters. The scanning carriage 7 is adapted to bemove'd along the bridge by means of an endless-cable 22, driven by in each "row 7 a motor 23, and is coupled by means ofa flexible electric cable 24 with a box 25 containing the remainingapparatus (parts 11, 12 and 13 as shown in Fig.2).1

In operation, the bridge 18 is successively placed 'before each row of meters, and the scanning carriage 27 spot of a radio-active material the location of which corresponds and identifies with the symbol on the field.

2. An indicating mechanism comprising a counter including at least one movable symbol carrier having a plurality of symbol fieldsin predetermined relation and bearing difierent symbols each representing a different unit of information from an information cod'e,'wherein at least part of the said symbol fields includes spots of a radio-active material. grouped in a pattern which correspondsand identifies with the syrnbol-onthe-associated field. i

3. An indicating mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein the fields define depressions and the said spots :are arranged in saiddepressions.

4. An indicating mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spots consist of a radio-active isotope having along half-life. I

'5. An indicating mechanism as claimed 'in 'claim 2, wherein visual representations and the spotsare arranged on the same parts of the symbolfields. v

6. An indicating mechanism as claimed in claim '2, wherein the spots are parallel straight lines. I g

7. Apparatus for'translating symbols into electric signals, comprising acounter, at least one movable symbol 'carrierinsaid counter andincluding a plurality of'sym bol fields in fixed and predetermined relation and at least partially provided with spots of a radio-active material grouped in a pattern correspondingto a predetermined code identifying'the symbol on each field, a scanning device for convertingthe radiation of the said radioactive spots into impulses, and means to process the impulses. 7

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the scanning device is responsive to the ionisation of a gas causedby the radiation of "the said radio activespots.

Apparatus as felaimed in'claim 8, wherein said scanning devicecomprises a Geiger-Miiller' tube.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9,-fur'ther comprising an integrating-network forderiving .the desired code is moved across each row in order to registrate the readings of the meters. During the backward movement of the carriage, the electric circuit of the scanningdevice is switched oil, so that no recordings are made.

Fig. 4 shows the circuitof the scanning *device'more in detail.

The Geiger-Muller tube -10 is connected through a resistor 26 with a-suitable voltage :source 27. e

The impulses appearing across resistor 26 arefed toithe control grid of an amplifier tube 28. .The anode current of this tube is fed to an integrating Inetwork,' comp'rising a resistor 29 andtwo condensers 30 and 31. Theoutput voltage of this network'is'fed to the input terminals of an amplifier 32 of conventional design, which' feeds the magnet head of a tape recorder.

It will be understood that the impulses generated 'by the Geiger-Miiller tube, each corresponding to one of the radiation quanta, are integratedby.netWork 29%-31, so that code impulses corresponding with the numerical values of the digits displayed on the meters are supplied to the magnet head 33. r g

Although the invention has been explained hereinbefore with reference toa specific embodiment thereof; it is t0. be understood that various modifications may be applied thereto within the scopeof the invention asset forth in the claims.

Weclaim:

1. An indicating mechanism comprising a counter including at least one movable 'symbolcarrier having a plurality of symbol fields inpredetermined relation and bearing different symbols each representinga*different unit of information from an information code; wherein'at least part of the said symbolfields'include'at leasrone impulses from the impulses corresponding with the radiation.

ll. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a screen impermeable-tothe radiation of the said radio-active spots, interposed between said Geiger- Miiller tube and the said symbol fields, ahd"pi'ovided with an intercepting aperture. 7

12. Apparatus as claimedinclaim 11, further comprising means for moving said' screen and said Geiger- M'tiller tube past the symbol fields of said indicating mechanism.

I 13. Meter apparatus-for indicating metered magnitudes comprising means including a sequence of coded radioactive representations for representing all ofsaid magnitudes, means for moving the radioactiverepresentation of the metered one'of "said magnitudes to a determinable position, and means" to convert the radioactive represen? tation at said determinable position into an electrical signal representing said metered magnitude.

14. An indicating mechanism comprising a coun ter including at least one' movable Symbol carrier having a plurality of'symbol fields in predetermined relation and bearing different symbols each representing a dilferent unit of informatio'n from an information code, wherein at least part of the'said symbol fieldsinclu'des spots of a radio-active material grouped in a pattern which corre sponds and identifies with the symbol on the associated field'and at least one auxiliary'spot of a radio-active material serving to locate the first-mentioned spots.

References Citedfin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS.

"2,346,043 Mysels Apr. 4,1944, 2,474,271 .Meyer. June28, 1949 2,683,813 Friedman July 13, 1954 2,773,196 Hall Dec. 4, 1956 

